Framework structure for balloons.



r o. HUBER. FRAMEWORK STRUCTURE FOB BALBOONS.

APLIOATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1909.

Patented Ja11.3,1911.

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FRAMEWORK STRUOTUBE ron BALLooNs.

APPLIOATION PILED- SEPT. 13, 1909.

Patented J an. 3, 1911.

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UNITED `sTaTas PATENT oFFIoE.

CARL HUBER, OF BERLIN, GERMANY car, are likewise known.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, CARL HUBER, civilFRAMEWORK STRUCTURE FOR BALLOONS.

engineer, a subject of the Grand Duke of Baden, residing at Nos. 29/30Schlesischestrasse, in Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prus- -sia, Germany,have 'invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to FrameworkStructures for Balloons, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The employment of wood and other light materials such as bamboo and thelike have already been proposed and em loyed in the construction offrameworks fbr balloons; moreover wooden frameworks and the likecomposed of hollow supports running spirally and intersecting one withanother in order to obtain a framework which will serve-on the one handfor the reception of the gas balloon, and also for carryiiw the For Vthelatter purpose particularly it is necessary, however, that this frame,while keeping the weight very low should be formed like a girderpreferably of parabolic form.

The object of the present invention is the construction of a balloonframework mainly consisting of a series of longitudinal bearers orgirders. These bearers (and this constitutes the eential feature of theinven' tion) are corrugated or waved .in the longitudinal direction andarranged edgewise and radially. These bearers are arranged side by sidewith the summits of their corrugations in contact and connected one withthe other by riveting or gluing the contacting summits of thecorrugations giving the transverse connection. The bearers themselvespreferably consist of transversely (spread-out) glued plates (veneer)reinforced on their longitudinal edges by a metal binding such asaluminium. In order to reduce the weight the plates may be recessed atthe middle, the edges of these recesses being likewise bound with metal.The longitudinal bearers thus formed which are arranged on edge areconnected one with the other radiallyi 'at their prot'uberances or thesummits 'of their corrugations and preferably glued where they contactwith the interposition of wedge-shaped intermediate pieces', so thatwithout the necessity of transverse bearers, a strong frameworkadequately stayed in the transverse direction is obtained. A plateframework of thiskind Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 13, 1909. Serial No. 517,389. y

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

is illustrated in the in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 a cross section showingthe general arrangement of the system of bearers. Fig. 3 shows a part ofthe system of bearers with transverse connections. Fig. 4 shows arecessed and reinforced panel of a bearer consisting of wood. Fig.-5shows the method of connecting the bearers one with the other, and ofreinforcing them by distance pieces. Fig. 6 illustrates reinforcement bymeans of wire or tension rods.

In the construction here illustrated the framework G at its greatestdiameter comprises a given number of corrugated wooden plate bearers aglued one to the other but as the circumference -constantly decreasestoward the ends only a veryfcw extend to the entire length between thetwo ends. The length and number of the bearers are selected in such amanner that their protuberances or corrugations form rhomboidal mesheswhich as far as possible are of equal width, and by this method ofdistributing the meshes the number of the bearers is limited in adefinite manner on the periphery of the framework. If, for example theframework has a maximum external diameter of 16 meters that is to say, acircumference of approximately 50 meters 'with a width of mesh of 75 cm.in the middle this gives 50+().75z66 longitudinal bearers; at the twoends where the longitudinal bearers partly meet with a diameter of threemeters and av width of mesh of 50 cm. for example there are 18 bearers,while the G6 longitudinal bearers in the middle are onl continued toboth sides until these 6G byearers together, with a width of meshlikewise equal to 50 cm. give a circumference of 33 meters or a diameterof about 1l meters. From this point more bearers constantly terminatetoward the two points until at the extreme points themselves, only abouttwelve meet. As already described, the protuberances of these radiallyarranged parabolic longitudinal bearers c, contactand are united to formatramework Fig.1,and can be held at the proper interval at variousplaces (for example, once in the middle and twice or four times at bothsides) by distance pieces b which can likewise be reinforced at theiredges by a binding of aluminium 0. At other places the meshes of thclongitudinal accompanying drawing bearers a arranged edgewise andradially can be connected by crossed Wires or tension rods d s liced orotherwise fixed at their points or intersection. Thismesh frameworktherefore constitutes an ideal supporting body, capable of bearing aload on all sides; it is of relatively great strength such as it has notheretofore been possible to obtain with an equal Weight of otherconstructional materials.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by patent is:

l. A balloon .frame having a substantially circular cross-section andcomprising yin combination, a plurality of girders of zigzag formationarranged to dispose their apices in abutting relation, and means forconnecting said girders to form a rigid structure.

2. An oval or elongated balloon frame having a substantially circularcross-section and colnprising in combination, a plurality oflongitudinally disposed girders of zig-'zag formation arranged radiallyedge-Wise and with their apices in abutting relation, and means lforconnecting said girders'to form arigid structure. v

3. An oval or elongated balloon frame having a substantially circularcross-section and being gradually reduced from a substantially greatestcentral diameter toward A the. ends thereof and comprising incombination, a plurality of longitudinally disposed 'girders of zig-'zagformation .arranged to bring their apiees in abutting relation andradially edge-wise disposed, certain of said girders extendingthroughout the length of said structure and the remaining girdersextending. from the center or greatest d1- ameter toward the ends ofsaid frame and being gradually reduced in length,v and means forconnect-ing said girders to form a rigid structure.

,4. A balloon frame having a substantially circular cross-section andcomprising in combination, a plurality of' girders of zigzag formationarranged tof dispose their ers, and means for connecting saidgirders toform a rigid structure.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto slgned my name 1n the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

CARL HUBER. Witnesses WOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HASPER.

